How to Find Out If Someone Has a Green Card

Migrant workers have become an important part of the U.S. work force, but with this influx has come a large number of illegal aliens who attempt to get work under false pretenses. All too often, people who seem to have a valid green card in fact do not. There are ID mills across the country that churn out thousand of fake green cards. If you want to determine if the person in question has handed you a real green card or a fake, there are several features you can look at. Keep in mind that green cards are not actually green.

Look closely at the photo on the card. The government uses a camera that takes the photo at a slight angle, meaning that you should clearly see the right eye and the individual should not be looking directly at the camera. Run a finger over the photo. It it seems to have a raised surface, it's a fake. Check the text in the card, looking for misspellings or missing or misplaced words. Also examine the quality of the text, such as smears or the spacing between the letters being uneven. Compare the date on the front of the card to the one on the back to make sure they match. Look at the hologram. It should have the logo of the Department of Homeland Security.

Read More: How to Recognize a Fake Green Card